Sunset & Morning Half-Day (3 hour) San Juan Island Kayak Tours

Half-day morning and sunset kayak tours are the perfect choice for those who have very limited time but really want to experience sea kayaking in the San Juan Islands. Half day kayak trips also work well for people who aren’t sure if they will enjoy sea kayaking and want to get a brief first taste of the sport.

We have three different half-day tour routes from San Juan Island. You may explore either the east, south, or west side of the island. This allows us flexibility to choose the safest paddling if wind or waves occur on the day of your kayak tour. All are very scenic and visit parks and refuges home to a variety of marine life.

Both the west and south side routes take you to the best orca whale watching waters in the United States. Our local salmon orcas frequently follow a pattern that loops back and forth between the two sites, sometimes as often as five times a day! Take a look at the chart below and the green shaded area where killer whales are most often seen.

However, if your main goal is to see orca whales, we recommend the afternoon kayaking tour. Time of day is not important, but rather total time spent in killer whale habitat. Our statistics show that your chances of a killer whale watching experience are twice as good on the longer afternoon (6-hr) kayak trip. The entire whale watching season runs from April through October with the peak months being June through September. In the past decade we’ve seen orca whales on about 20% of the 3-hour kayak tours during the best months and about half of that in the shoulder months.

Please note: Regardless of which kayak tour you choose, orca whales may be absent during your kayak trip. Killer whales may move quickly out of range, or alter their normal patterns. Weather and waves may interfere with whale watching success and may force us to alter our normal routes to prioritize safety. Nevertheless, we will always give you the best chance to kayak with killer whales!

Meeting Time: Half-day San Juan Island kayak trips begin early morning and around dinner time. Exact times depend on our shuttle schedule for that particular day. Our online reservation system will indicate this if you enter a specific date. If the times don’t work for you, we may be able to alter them to meet your needs so feel free to ask!

Itinerary: Our shuttle van takes you to the launch beach. Depending on the location of your kayak tour, this takes between 5 to 25 minutes. Once at the beach, we provide a kayak lesson that requires up to one hour to familiarize everyone with the basic skills before we launch the sea kayaks. We then explore for about 1½ hours, covering 2 to 4 miles during the kayak adventure. Floating rest breaks in scenic locations keep you energized as do frequent stops to take pictures and enjoy wildlife.

Finish Time & Place: Friday Harbor Ferry Terminal. Late morning to noon for the morning tour; before dark for the sunset tour.

Total Time: Approximately 3½ hours from meeting your guides to finish. Be aware that whales, winds or currents can occasionally delay us! But there will always be plenty of time to catch one of several departing ferries if you are planning to leave the island.

You Will Provide: Suitable clothing and footwear for the beach, water bottle, hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Bring a warm sweater and rain jacket if windy or rainy. Click prepare for a San Juan Islands kayak tour for some tips.

Half-Day Morning & Sunset San Juan Island Kayak Tour Map:

The shaded zones are the primary orca whale watching area with different colors representing the two species.

The west side route is the most popular and is the default choice when you reserve a half-day kayak tour. It features the best orca whale watching waters in the United States! When whales aren’t present we typically see a few seals, some marine birds, an active bald eagle nest, and often porpoises.

The east side route features a huge seal population, the best chance of seeing otters, and the greatest variety of sea birds. Whales and porpoises both occur here but not nearly as often compared to the west side. The half-day kayak tour uses this route on the few days when windy weather makes the west side unsafe. Families or groups of friends that have very limited time often request private kayak trips on the east side route as the beach is just a few minutes from Friday Harbor and greatly reduces shuttle time.

The south side route launches from the San Juan Islands National Historical Park directly into some of the best whale-watching waters in the US. Both minke whales and orcas hunt over the Salmon Bank where prey concentrates. Like the east side, it is excellent for seals and a great variety of marine birds. And the vista is spectacular! The south side is very exposed to wind and waves and is often unsuitable for beginners. If we believe whales are there at the time of your tour, and the weather is cooperative, we may paddle the south side route. Groups and families often request private trips at this location.

Please note: The San Juan Islands can experience extreme winds or currents even in summer. This can occasionally cause us to alter these routes if safety demands it. Nevertheless, we will always be able to view the primary orca whale-watching waters, from the kayaks, shore, or both.

Click on this map to open a full-size map in PDF format that you can save, zoom, or print!